Elephant Seal at Dawn Photo PopSockets Grip and Stand for Phones and Tablets

Elephant seals are large, oceangoing earless seals in the genus Mirounga. The two species, the northern elephant seal and the southern elephant seal, were both hunted to the brink of extinction by the end of the 19th century, but the numbers have since recovered. The Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery spreads out over 6 miles of beach from Point Piedras Blancas on the central coast of California. The best viewing areas are located 90 miles south of Monterey, 5 miles north of Hearst Castle State Historical Monument in San Simeon.